Stepping Stones Light

Stepping Stones Light is a Victorian-style lighthouse in Long Island Sound, in Nassau County, New York. The lighthouse is square-shaped and made of red brick, standing one-and-a-half stories high. The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse is a virtual twin of this structure. The light is in current use, under the management of the United States Coast Guard. It is not open to the public.

Stepping Stones Light

Location	Long Island Sound, in Nassau County, New York. Marks outer end of reef
Coordinates	40°49′27.6″N 73°46′29.1″W
Year first constructed	1877
Year first lit	1877
Automated	1967
Foundation	Granite and concrete pier
Construction	Red brick
Tower shape	Square, red brick, granite trim, black and white lantern
Markings / pattern	White band on southwest face of pier
Tower height	46 feet (14 m)
Focal height	46 feet (14 m)
Original lens	Fifth order Fresnel, 1877
Current lens	12 inches (300 mm)
Range	8 nautical miles (15 km; 9.2 mi)
Characteristic	Green light occulting every 4 sec
Admiralty number	J0923
ARLHS number	USA-811
USCG number	1-21505 [1] [2] [3]
Heritage	place listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Stepping Stones Light Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Area	less than one acre
Architect	U.S. Lighthouse Board
Architectural style	Second Empire
MPS	Light Stations of the United States MPS
NRHP reference No.	05001026 [4]
Added to NRHP	September 15, 2005

The reef upon which it sits was given its name by Siwanoy (Minnefords) Native American legends. According to the legend, the tribe used warriors, medicine, and magic to chase the devil out of present-day Westchester County, New York onto City Island (formerly Greater Minneford Island), surrounding him at Belden Point. The devil then picked up huge boulders lying there and tossed them into Long Island Sound, using them as stepping stones to make his escape. The natives named the rocks, "The Devil's Stepping Stones".

USCG historical photo, undated

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Stepping Stones Light Station on September 15, 2005, reference number 05001026. The light station has been declared surplus, and the application for transfer under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 is under review.[5] In 2008, the light station was transferred to the Town of North Hempstead. In 2014, the Town of North Hempstead entered into a partnership with the Great Neck Historical Society and the Great Neck Park District to raise funds to rehabilitate the Lighthouse.[6] The National Park Service and New York State Senator Jack Martins provided $165,000 and $100,000 in grant funding, respectively, to support the restoration efforts.[7][8]